Door-closing apparatus for vulcanizers.



No. 703,345.- Patented lune-24, I902.

T. H. HYDE.

DOOR QLOSIN G APPARATUS FOR VULGANIZERS.

(Application filgd. Mar. 14, 1902.) 7 110 8 0 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 703,345. Patented June 24, I902.

TQH. HYDE.

0008 CLOSING APPARATUS FOR VULGANIZERS.

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1902.) (No Model.) 4 sheets-*sheet 2.

No.-703,345. Patented June 24, I902. T. H. HYDE.

DOOR CLOSING APPARATUS FOR VULOANIZERS.

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1902.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-$heat- 3.

"Jam-:54) w WW Wm J LA Maw/10mg h dd di V j/%% No. 703,345. Patented June 24, I902.

T. H. HYDE.

DOOR CLOSING APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZERS.

(Application filed. Mar. 14, 1902.1

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

UNlTED STATES PA NT OFricE.

THOMAS HENRY HYDE, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT RICHARDS, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

DOOR-CLOSING APPARATUS vFOR VULCANIZERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,345, dated June 24, 1902.

Application filed March 14,1902. $erial No. 98,180. (No model.)

T at whmn it may Go worn: connection between the door and its operat- Be it known thatLTHOMAS HENRY HYDE, a ing mechanism, whereby the same may be citizen of the United States, residing at readily moved into and out of position with a Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and minimum effort.

State of Ohio, have invented certain new and -A further object of the invention is to prouseful Improvements in Door-Closing Appavide a power-actuating device controlled by ratus for Vulcanizers; andIdo hereby declare steam or other motive power to provide for the following to be a full, clear, and exact deactuating the operating mechanism for the scription of the invention, such as will enable door.

10 others skilledin the art to which it appertains \Vith these and many other objects in view, to make and use the same. which will more readily appear as the nature This invention relates to means for hanof theinventionisbetterunderstood,thesame dling and closing the door, cover, or other cloconsists in the novel construction, combinasure for vulcanizers and similar apparatus, tion, and arrangement of parts to be herein- 15 and more particularly contemplates an imafter more fully described, illustrated, and

proved door-closing apparatus possessing speclaimed. cial utility in connection with vulcanizers. The essential features of the invention in- Ordinarily a considerable loss of time is involvedin carrying out the objects above speci- 7o volved in charging and discharging the com fied are necessarily susceptible to a wide 20 mon types of vulcanizers by reason of the very rangeof modification without departing from slow and unsatisfactory method usually rethe spirit of the invention; but apreferred sorted to in fastening and unfastening the embodiment of the latter is shown in the acdoor. Particularly in that type of vulcanizcom panying drawings, in which ers which are of the common cylindrical or Figure 1 is a side elevation of avulcanizer 25 boiler shape the door is usually hinged at one equipped with the door-closing mechanism side of the vulcanizer-body and is provided constructed in accordance with the present with a series of peripheral notches individinvention and showing the door closed. Fig. ually receiving hinged bolts,wbich are thrown 2 is a similar view showing the door open and in and out of the notches, according as the the operating mechanism therefor arranged 3o dooristobefastenedorreleased. In this conin its inactive non-clamping position. Fig. struction the handling of a large number of 3 is an end view showing the door in its closed individual fastening-bolts necessarily reor clamped position. Fig. MS a similarview quires considerable time besides being open showing the door opened or elevated out of to the objection of rendering'it practicallyimthe way to permit of the charging and dis- 5 possible to obtain an equal distribution of charging of the vulcanizer.

clamping-pressure, inasmuch as this result Like reference-numerals designate correcould only be secured by tightening the nut sponding parts throughout the several figures of each bolt to exactlythe same degree. Other ot the drawings. forms of vulcanizers also involve fastening As already stated, the invention relates,

40 means which are open to substantially the obexclusively, to a door-closing apparatus, and

jections already stated, so it is the purpose of while the same possesses special utilityin conthe present invention to provide a door-closnection with vulcanizers it is of course obing apparatus embracing positive and pracvious that the same could be utilized with 5 tical means for closing and opening the door other types of furnaces or apparatus involv- 45 of a vulcanizer with a minimum loss of time. ing the employment of a door or closurede- Also the invention comprehends operating signed to be held in place under a clampingmcchanism for the door which positively inpressure. However, forillustrative purposes sures the equal distribution of a clampingit has been deemed sufficient to disclose the pressure throughout the entire door to proimprovements in connection with a vulcan- 50 vide a perfect closure or seal of the door izer, so particular reference will now be made against its seat. to the drawings.

The invention further provides aseparable In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the vulcanizing chamber or body of a vulcanizing apparatus. This chamber or body 1 is usually of a cylindrical or boiler shape and is provided at one end with a stationary or closed head 2, while the opposite end is open and is designed to be covered and uncovered through the medium of a door or equivalent closure 3. This door or equivalent closure 3 is ordinarily in a circular form to correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the vulcanizing chamber or body 1 and is designed to fit against the usual packing provided at the open end of the apparatus.

The invention involves no special change in this part of the vulcanizing apparatus, as anysuitable character of packed or hermetical joint may be provided between the door and the open end of the vulcanizing chamber or body without affecting the mechanism Which is utilized in carrying out the invention for operating the door.

In the larger sizes of vulcanizers the door or equivalent closure 3 would necessarily be of considerable weight, and it is therefore desirable to counterbalance this weight, while at the same time providing simple and convenient means for holding the door in a position out of the way when the same is removed t'rom over the open end of the vulcanizer. \Vhile this may be accomplished in various ways, the preferred construction is shown in the drawings and consists in the employment of a supporting-cable 4, suitably connected at one end, as at 5, to the door 3 at the top and carrying at its other end a counterbalance-weight 6, which is sufficiently heavy to counterbalance the Weight of the door, and thus permit of it being handled with a minimum eifort on the part of the operator.

The weighted supporting-cable 4 may be conveniently arranged to pass over guidepulleys 7, journaled at the upper ends of carryingstandards 8, mounted in fixed positions above the vulcanizer and which may be conveniently braced through the medium of the brace connection 9, although it is obvious that these details maybe changed as desired or required, inasmuch as it is only necessary to provide a suitable bearing-support for the guide-pulleys over which the supporting'cable is arranged to move, whereby the weighted end of the cable will descend as the door is elevated, and vice versa. Irrespective of the counterbalancing feature of the connections described, such connections provide means for holding the door in its elevated uncovering position when removed from over the open end of the vulcanizer and disconnected from the operating mechanism cooperating therewith.

In the described form of the invention the door is therefore preferably vertically movable and separable from its operating mechanism. While said door may be constructed in any suitable or approved manner, the same carriers 13.

is preferably formed on the outer side thereof with a plurality of intersecting reinforcing ribs or webs 10, portions of which reinforcements are preferably extended at diagonally opposite corners into offstanding hanger-arms 11, each of which is provided at its outer end with a downturned open holding-cuff 12. The holding-cuffs 12 at the ends of the hanger-arms 11 are all disposed in the same direction and are preferably of an approximate U shape, with the notches or openings disposed downward, so that the cuffs will readily take over and also become disengaged from the movable clamping-carriers 13 of the operating mechanism for the door.

It will be observed from the drawings that the pair of hanger-arms 11, located at each side of the vertical center of the door or closure 3, are disposed in vertical alinement in the same vertical plane with the clamping- A pair of the clamping-carriers 13 is arranged at each side of the vulcanizerbody and, as already indicated, are disposed within the same vertical plane corresponding to the plane of the door-hangers 11 cooperating therewith. The movable clamping-carriers 13 constitute parts of the operating mechanism for the door, and this operating mechanism includes duplicate sets of devices at opposite sides of the vulcanizer-body, as may be plainly seen from the end views of the drawings. A description,therefore of one set of the duplicate devices on opposite sides of the vulcanizer will suffice for the other.

The movable clamping-carriers 13 are not only supports or carriers for the door in its lowered position, but also provide clamping means for binding the same tightly over the open end of the vulcanizer. Preferably the movable clamping-carriers 13 are in the form of horizontally-arranged rods provided at what might be properly termed their outer ends with binding elements 14;, adapted to bind against the outer sides of the holdingcutfs 12 and to draw the door against the vulcanizer-body when an inward pressure is exerted upon the rods or carriers 13.

The binding elements 14 at the outer ends of the rods or carriers 13 are preferably in the form of nuts mounted upon threaded portions of the rods carrying the same, although it is obvious that any headed or shouldered projection at the same point would serve as a binding element for being drawn against the hangers-for the door.

The rods 13, constituting each pair of clamping-carriers, are disposed in parallelism and have a reciprocatory or sliding movement through guiding-supports. In the construction shown the guiding-supports are designated by the reference-number 15 and are in the form of upwardly and downwardly projecting arms extended from the upper and lower edges of a base-plate 15, riveted or otherwise securely fastened upon the side of the vulcanizer-body, and at their outer ends the guiding supports or arms 15 are formed with guide eyes or collars 16,which slidably receive the said rods or carriers 13.

At what might be properly termed their inner ends the rods or carriers 13 of each pair are also provided with nuts or heads 17, which serve to hold in engagement with the rods a transverse vertically-disposed yoke or yoke-bar 18. The yoke or yoke-bar 18 at each side of the vulcanizer-body constitutes a coupling connection between the rods or carriers at that point to insure the uniform and synchronous movement of the said rods. The connection between the yoke or yoke-bar 18 and the rods is preferably secured by providing the former at the opposite ends thereof with the collars 19, in which are fitted the inner end portions of the rods or carriers.

The yoke or yoke-bar 18 at each side of the vulcanizer may be of any preferred shape or form having the proper strength and is designed to have pivotally connected thereto by means of a pivot or knuckle-joint 20 one end of a toggle-link 21. The pivot or knucklejoint 20 is located centrally between the ends of the yoke 18 and at one side thereof, and the link 21 at its end opposite the joint 20 has a similar pivot or knuckle-joint connection 22 with the heel end 23 of a pressurelever 24, which is fulcrumed contiguous to its heel end upon a pivot 25, fitted within an open bearing bracket or boxing 26, offset from one side of the base-plate 15. The pressurelever 24 is mounted inside of the open bearing bracket or boxing 26 and in conjunction with the toggle-link 21 provides a toggle-lever connection between itself and the yoke for the clamping-carriers 13.

The long arm of the pressure-lever 24 has pivotally connected thereto, as at 27, the lower end of an adjusting-rod 28, having an intermediate vertically-disposed clearanceloop 29 for the carrier or rod 13 within the plane thereof and pivoted at its upper end, as at 30, to one extremity of a cross-head 31. This cross-head has a pivotal joint connection 32 centrally between its ends with the upper end of a piston 33, Working within a cylinder 34, surmounting the vulcanizer-body and having connected therewith a motiveagent pipe 35. This pipe may be provided with any suitable valve-such, for instance, as a three-way cock 36, which controls the intake and exhaust of motive agent besides capable of being set to a normal inactive position. Other equivalent expedients of course could be resorted to in this connection for controlling the motive agent utilized in connection with the power-actuator consisting of the cylinder and piston device. Steam is usually employed to operate this cylinder and piston power-actuator, although any gas or fluid could obviously be used for the same purpose.

As already stated, the separate sets of devices are duplicated at opposite sides of the vulcanizer-body, and consequently by reason of the power cross-head 31 being pivotally mounted at 32 the power is necessarily equally distributed between the four clamping carriers or bolts 13, as the said head 31 necessarily acts as an equalizer between the two adjusting-rods 28. 18, having a pivot or knuckle-joint connection 21 with the toggle-lever arrangement, serves as an equalizer between the two clamping carriers or rods which it connects.

Assuming the parts to occupy the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the toggle 2'1 23 is straightened out andiserves to hold the binding elements 14: under clamping-pressure against the outer side of the door, thus securing the same firmly upon its seat over the open end of the vulcanizer. When itis desired to open the vulcanizer, the motive agent is exhausted from the cylinder 34 of the actuator device, permitting the cross-head 31 and the rod connections 28 to lower, with the consequence of swinging the long armsof the pressure-levers 24: downward to the positions shown in Fig. 2. This action necessarily swings the pivoted ends of the toggle-links upward, with the consequence of relievingthe pressure on the yokes 18 and drawing the same upward, thus permitting the clamping carriers or rods 13 to be moved forward suliiciently to relieve the clamping-pressure from the door. When this clamping-pressure is thus relieved, the door can be readily lifted or raised off of the carriers 13 and moved to an open position out of the way, such as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. When it is desired to close the vulcanizer, the door is dropped to position, with the hanger-arms'engaged over the clamping-carriers 13, after which motive agent is turned into the cylinder, with the result of drawing the rods 28 and their connections upward, thereby straightening out or expanding the toggle arrangement and drawing the clam ping-carriers inward, so as to exert a clamping-pressure of the binding elements 14 against the hangers of the door.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described door-closing apparatus will be readily apparent without further description, and it will also be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described'the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described,

the door, operating mechanism constituting a support for the door in its closed position and comprising means for exerting a clampingpressure thereon, and separate means for sup- Likewise each yoke porting the door in its opened position independent of said operating mechanism.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the door, operating mechanism constituting a support for the door when closed and comprising means for exerting a clamping-pressure thereon, said door having separable connections with the operating mechanism, and separate means for supporting the door in its open position.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the door, a counterbalancing device connected with the door and arranged to support it when opened, and operating mechanism constituting a support for the door when closed and comprising means for exerting a clamping-pressure thereon, said door having a separable connection with the operating mechanism.

4. In an apparatus of the class described,

the door, a suitably-guided supporting-cable carrying a counterbalance and connected with the door, an operating mechanism constituting a support for the door when in its closed position and comprising means for exerting a clamping-pressure thereon. 5. In an apparatus of the class described, the door, power-actuated operating mechanism constituting a support for the door and comprising means for exerting a clampingpressure thereon.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the door, and power-actuated operating mechanism constituting a support for the door when closed and comprising means for exerting a clamping-pressure thereon, said door having a separable connection with the operating mechanism.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, suitably-actuated operating mechanism having a plurality of clamping-carriers, and the door supported by and having' a separable connection with said carriers.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a suitably actuated operating mechanism having a plurality of clamping-carriers, and the door having a plurality of hangers arranged to be moved into and out of engagement with the said carriers.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, suitably-actuated operating mechanism havinga plurality of movable clamping-carriers, a toggle device for adjusting said carriers,

and the door having a separable connection with the said carriers.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, suitably-actuated operating mechanism having a plurality of movable clamping-carriers, a toggle device for adjusting said carriers, and the door having a separable connection with said carriers when in its closed position, and a separate counterbalancing support for sustaining the door when opened independent of the said carriers. 7

11. In an apparatus of the class described, suitably-actuated operating mechanism having a plurality of reciprocatory headed rods constituting clam ping-carriers,toggle devices for adjusting said rods, and the door having a plurality of hangers provided with open holding-cuffs detachably resting on the said rods.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, an operating device having a plurality of reciprocatory rods constituting clamping-carriers, said rods being provided at their outer ends with binding elements, and the door provided with a plurality of hanger-arms having U-shaped holding-cuffs all disposed in the same direction and detachably taking over the rods at one side of the binding elements.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, operating mechanism comprising opposite duplicate sets of devices each including a pair of reciprocatory rods in the same vertical plane and constituting clamping-carriers,said rods being provided at their outer ends with binding elements, and the door provided at diagonally opposite corners withhanger-arms having open U -shaped holding-cuits,the cuffs of all of said hangers being disposed in the same direction and detachably taking. over the rods at one side of the binding elements.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, the operating mechanism including opposite pairs of reciprocatory rods constituting clampoperating mechanism including oppositelyarranged pairs of reciprocatory rods constituting clamping-carriers, a yoke coupling together the rods of each pair, a toggle-link pivotally connected at one end centrally to the said yoke, a pressure-lever having a fulcrumsupport and pivotally connected to the opposite end of the toggle-link, reciprocatory adjusting-rods connected at one end to the said pressure-levers, and a cylinder and piston power-actuator including a pivotally-supported cross-head having pivotal connections at its ends with the said adjusting-rods, and the door detachably connected with the rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS HENRY HYDE.

WVitnesses:

W. R. STEWART,

WILLIAM RING. 

